I made this top from my TNT raglan top base pattern, the February 2010 BWOF model 112:

I used a very original light grey jersey fabric, slightly see-through and with some kind of wrinkle effect on it. I customized this top with a twisted collar and some shirring along the sleeve seam at the elbow and the side seams on the hip area. I changed the cutting layout so the hems coincide with the knit selvage, thus avoiding any hem seaming. The pattern includes instructions for cutting a self-fabric binding tape; instead of the required tape width, I cut the same length but much wider (as wide as the intended collar height); I cut it twice (outer collar plus inner collar). Instead of sewing it like a regular turtle-neck with a seam on the top, I did something different: first joined the two collar pieces wrong sides facing each other and stitched along one of the longer edges; then opened the sewn collar rectangle and joined the narrower edges of the outer and inner collar, wrong sides facing, thus closing the back neck seam in one single step. If you fold the inner collar to the inside, you’ll obtain a regular turtleneck that can be sewn directly to the top’s neckline. What I did differently was shifting the inner collar layer by about 3 inches before stitching the collar to the neckline, it’s this easy.
For the shirred seams, all I did was to zigzag some clear elastic tape over the inner seam allowances.

ETA2 (2011-11-13): Found another great tutorial at Off The Cuff blog, check it out here.

I also made a pair of pants to match this top (2011#31 to be reviewed later if I find the time), using some kind of light grey pontiroma knit. I used McCalls 6404 view D but added a black 1/2 inch wide side panel since I wanted the pants to be more relaxed and not so close fitting. At hem level I also added a front slit. I don’t have pictures of the pants yet but hopefully I’ll be able to photograph the entire outfit later this week and publish it over at my wardrobe blog.

As a side note I want to address something that has been bothering me for some time, I already stated this on my other blog:
Some friends have been writing to me complaining about malware on my blogs; I can assure you all that my blogs are not infected (I’ve been checking regularly using blogger Webmaster tools); there are a few compatibility problems with browsers other than Internet Explorer and I can’t guarantee that some of the links on the sidebar aren’t triggering virus warnings either. One solution would be to eliminate my blogroll on the sidebar but I’d prefer not to do that. I’ve also heard that the visit counters used on most blogs also trigger these warnings, but I also suspect some virus warnings are triggered by commercial entities with the intent of convincing people to buy their anti-virus software. Please let me know by email or comment if you are experiencing any problems with my blogs and again, be reassured that my blogs are malware free. Thanks.

Description: Crossed over dress of midi length, has narrow sleeves adjusted at cuff level by invisible zippers, waist ties and a draped flounce on the right front edge.

Fabric used: crimson crepe (local fabric store); you may use any woven or knit for dresses, providing it has a good drape.

Construction: I followed the magazine’s instructions which were alright IMO, just added some reinforcement around the armholes and upper front edge (the last was mentioned in the instructions though). The reinforcement can be done by stitching on the SA very close to the stitching line or by fusing special purpose interfacing tape. I rate this dress as medium in difficulty level. I’ll show you some details so you’ll know what to expect if you decide to make this dress.

The neckline is faced (upper front edges and back neckline):

Here’s the wrong side of the right front (the one with the flounce); the facing covers a shaping dart in between the front and the flounce (the flounce is on the left, with the topstitched rolled hem):

On the right side you can see the right tie, which is caught in the shaping dart:

The left front doesn’t get a flounce; the left front will be hidden inside the dress:

The hem and lower front edges (including the draped flounce) are all finished with a rolled hem:

I raised the flounce so you can see how it is shaped:

Another detail is the cuff invisible zipper, applied within the sleeve shaping dart. This detail can be omitted because if you stitch the dart without the zipper it will still be possible to slip your hand through the cuffs, they are not too narrow.

The zipper on the wrong side:

I’m not sure you can notice it in the picture, but there is some additional shaping on the waist, managed by four topstitched pleats (two on the front and two on the back) placed where vertical darts would be on a dress:

Conclusion: The final result is pretty close to the magazine’s photos, except the dress is not as A-line as the model pictures may suggest. I really love this dress and already thought of ways of dressing it down (like adding a fur waistcoat or a causal jacket and rough boots, for example). I hope you all liked this dress as much as I did. Again, more pictures of me wearing it are published here. I wish you all a wonderful day, dear friends!

PS – Thanks to you all, the best readers in the world, Couture et Tricot has reached 500 followers on Google Friend Connect! THANK YOU SO MUCH!